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<p class="title"><a name="HELPInterfaceViewing"></a>Viewing files<hr></p>

<p>When "View file" command is used for an archive, the archive
will be opened and its contents shown in the file list.
When applied on a usual file, the file data will be displayed
in the <a href="HELPInterfaceInternalViewer.htm">internal viewer</a> window
regardless of file contents or configuration settings.
We can still load the archive data in internal viewer with
"Open in internal viewer" command available for archives in WinRAR file list
context menu or with corresponding Ctrl+Q keyboard shortcut.</p>

<p>If we press Enter on a file name, several different outcomes
are possible. If file under the cursor is an archive, WinRAR displays
its contents. For non-archive files further actions depend on settings
specified in <a href="HELPViewerSettings.htm">Viewer settings dialog</a>.
This dialog allows to force WinRAR to always use the internal viewer,
to open a file in the external viewer, to call a program associated
by Windows with this file type or to ask, each time before viewing a file,
which action described above shall be executed.</p>

<p>WinRAR can be used to view normal files, whether in an archive or not.
If external program is called to view an archived file, WinRAR unpacks
this file to temporary folder, passes its name to external program
and waits for the program to terminate. After this WinRAR checks
the file modification time and if it was updated, offers to update the file
in archive. Then it deletes the temporary folder with extracted file.</p>

<p>Scheme described above is modified if Enter is pressed on archived file
with extension from "Unpack everything for" list in "Viewer settings" dialog.
In this case WinRAR extracts the entire contents of archive to temporary
folder and then starts the specified file. After that it takes steps similar
to those described above: WinRAR waits for started file to terminate,
then checks the modification time of extracted files and if it has been
changed or new files have been created, it offers to update the archive.
Temporary folder and its contents are then deleted. Such file processing
allows to run programs or open multi-file documents directly from
an archive.</p>

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